


A Question of Taste

by threerings



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-31
Updated: 2009-08-31
Packaged: 2017-10-03 00:29:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threerings/pseuds/threerings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deleted scenes from 1x07 "The Long Game."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Question of Taste

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Time in Flux Ficathon. Takes place during and immediately after 1x07.  
> Disclaimer: Some dialog from the Doctor Who Episode "The Long Game" by Russell T. Davies. I don't own Doctor Who or this episode.

The Doctor and Rose look out at the at once familiar and unfamiliar sight of the Earth below them, Earth in the time   
of the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Adam isn't looking at anything because Adam is passed out on   
the floor.

"He's your boyfriend," the Doctor says.

"Not anymore," Rose replies, straightfaced. She sneaks a glance at the Doctor's face to find he's sneaking a   
glance at hers. They both fail to keep a straight face and end up grinning at each other for a moment. Rose   
realizes she means it. Adam's just not boyfriend material. Doesn't hold a candle to the Doctor.

"What do we do about him?" Rose asks with a nod at the tumbled form of Adam on the floor between them.

"Oh. Him." The Doctor frowns, as if just remembering Adam's presence. "Come on, let's give 'im a lift." The   
Doctor and Rose both drop to their knees and reach for one of Adam's arms. It's a bit awkward, and as Rose tries   
to heave him up, she loses her grip on Adam's right arm, dropping Adam back on the floor and also fetching up   
against the Doctor, who then also drops Adam. Rose meets the Doctor's eyes and bites back a giggle when she   
hears Adam groan from the floor.

"Wha? Who dropped me on my head?" Adam was awake . . .and complaining. Rose broke eye contact with the   
Doctor, who continued to smirk at her as she dropped down to check Adam's head for bumps.

Once they've assured Adam he'll live, they get him to his feet and proceed out of the observation deck. . .

~~~  
Rose and the Doctor step into the elevator. Cathica hurries away from them, anxious not to get into trouble.

"That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just you and me," says the Doctor, looking at Rose.

"Yeah," says Rose.

"Good," says the Doctor.

"Yep," says Rose. They look at each other, grinning. The Doctor slots a card into the elevator controls and grabs   
Rose's hand as the doors close.

Rose looks at him, at the place where their hands are clasped. Her hand feels hot even though the Doctor's hand is   
cool in hers. He's still looking at her with a smile on his face. A cat-that-ate-the-cream smile. He's so pleased that   
he has her all to himself. Rose realizes she's getting flushed, just from keeping eye contact with the Doctor. She   
looks away, suddenly, face burning. She tries to pull her hand from his, but he doesn't let go; instead he let's   
himself be pulled closer to her. Rose looks back up at him, surprised.

Rose isn't sure who moves first, but in the next instant she's putting her arm around the Doctor's neck and pulling   
him down to kiss her. He doesn't resist, in fact he reacts eagerly, lips pressing hard against hers. Her right hand is   
still gripped in his left and he brings their hands up, holding hers against the wall as he presses her into the side of   
the elevator.

Rose realizes she's making soft groaning and whimpering sounds under his lips. The Doctor grinds against her in   
response, the kiss becoming more demanding. Rose is sure she wouldn't still be able to stand if she weren't held   
so tightly against the wall of the elevator. The wall and floor are vibrating with the movement as the elevator   
continues the long trip to floor 500, and Rose hopes it never ends, that she and the Doctor can remain in this   
in between space forever without the real world intruding.

Their kiss has become even more desperate. Rose has pulled her hand free of the Doctor's and both arms are   
wrapped around his neck. She lifts one leg to wrap around his hip, feeling him hard against her. It's the Doctor's   
turn to groan now as he sucks and bites at her lips.

And then, suddenly, the Doctor pulls back.

Rose stumbles, nearly falling without the support of his body. She looks up, shocked at the sudden end of their   
embrace.

"No," he says, shaking his head, "No, we can't." She looks at him blankly, mouth open. His face is unreadable. "I   
can't."

"But," she stammers.

"I can't do this, Rose," he says, his face hard, resolute, decided. Rose's heart sinks within her, but before she can   
manage to say anything in response, the elevator stops, the doors open.

The Doctor steps quickly out of the elevator and looks around. "The walls are not made of gold," he says darkly.   
"You should go back downstairs."

Rose balks. "Tough," she replies, not letting him get rid of her so easily. She follow him out of the elevator. The   
Doctor watches her with a serious look. Rose continues forward without looking at the Doctor. Silence and tension   
hang between them for a moment until the Doctor gives a small shake of his head and moves off to follow Rose   
further into floor 500.

 

~~~

After they defeat the Jagrafess, after dropping Adam back off at home, Rose shuts the TARDIS doors behind her. The Doctor is waiting for her, leaning against the console, smirking over Adam's stupidity. Rose   
looks at him and shrugs.

"You have horrible taste in boyfriends, Rose," The Doctor teases. Rose reaches the console and turns to face him.

"Oh really?" she asks, leaning in just a bit closer, her expression remote. "I thought I had pretty good taste,   
actually." She looks at him, flatly, waiting for his response. For a few moments in the elevator, everything   
between them had been perfect, blissful. Then he had pulled away and she was still trying very hard not to fall   
apart over that.

The Doctor holds her gaze, meeting her challenge with a raised eyebrow, but before long he drops the false   
bravado and just stares at her, unmoving. Finally something seems to give way in his expression and he raises a   
hand to her face.

"Rose. It's not a good idea." She opens her mouth to speak, but he covers it with his thumb. "It is, in fact, a very   
bad idea."

"Why?" she manages to get out around his thumb, which remains pressed against her lips. The Doctor shakes his   
head, an exasperated expression on his face.

"Because it's dangerous, for one," he says. "You saw that today. I wanted you to go back down and instead you   
ended up in manacles, being tortured so that managerial moron could get information out of me!" The Doctor   
releases her, flinging his hands around as he becomes more agitated. "I can't sit back and watch you get hurt,   
Rose. And anything...it would just make things more dangerous for you."

"More dangerous?! That's all you've got?! Doctor, if I was afraid of the danger, I would have gone home by now,   
wouldn't I? Or you would have taken me home, like Adam."

"No," interrupts the Doctor. "I wouldn't take you home. I couldn't ever take you home." His voice breaks. "Don't you   
see, that's the problem, Rose. If I...I couldn't bear to lose you." He takes a breath. "Maybe it's already too late."

Rose looks at him, biting her lower lip. She tries to think through her possible courses of action, of the consequences, tries to make a responsible choice. But she can't. There's only one possible thing she can do. So she does it.

Rose closes the space between them with two steps, reaching up to pull his head down to hers, and kisses him. The Doctor barely resists, and once their lips meet, all resistance leaves his body and he wraps his   
long arms around her and pulls her closer. For a long time, things are once again perfect.

Eventually, the kiss ends, and Rose leans back in his arms and looks up at him. The Doctor looks back at her with a soft smile.

"Yep. It's far too late already," he says softly, kissing her forehead.

~~~

Quite a while later, Rose is lying with her head pillowed on the Doctor's chest when he suddenly speaks. "I was   
wrong, Rose."

"Mmm, really? About what, specifically?"

"You have great taste."

And they both laugh, until Rose stops their laughter with a kiss.


End file.
